When you hear the term “makerspace,” you might picture 3D printers, robots, and coding. All of those things can certainly be part of a makerspace, but they don’t have to be the whole story. In fact, you can establish or enhance an existing makerspace with tech-free, low-or-no cost options, too–and your students might even prefer it this way!
The best part? You don’t need any personal experience or specialized equipment in order to offer these activities to your students. Here, in no particular order, are three tech-free, low-or-no cost activities you can start using in your library tomorrow!
1. Community Puzzles
During COVID lockdown, there was a worldwide jigsaw puzzle boom. Once we returned to school, “community puzzles” in the school library enjoyed similar popularity. Setting up a community puzzle is simple, free, and takes minimal effort:
Email your colleagues asking if anyone has puzzles they’d like to donate (spoiler alert: they do!)
Choose a spot to set it up
Make a sign clarifying expectations (see below)
Dump out the puzzle pieces
Sit back and watch the kids go
One of my favorite things about the community puzzle phenomenon is observing the wide variety of kids who participate throughout the day. Small groups of friends gather during a study hall. Individuals who need a minute to themselves put together a few pieces during their lunch break. Groups of athletes work on it after school while they wait for practice to begin. I even had one student last year who passed through the library to get to his English class; his ritual was pausing on his way in to put a single piece into its proper place.
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Tip: Consider getting a puzzle mat or even a large piece of posterboard for students to build the puzzle on. This way, you can move the puzzle temporarily if, like me, you set it up in a space you also sometimes need for classes
2. Origami Station
There’s comfort in folding colorful pieces of paper into tiny animals. When I set up our origami station, we already had several library books about origami that were not getting much attention. I used a small amount of budget money to buy a box of origami paper, spread them out on one of the library tables, and propped the books up next to them.
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As the origami craze spread, some students printed out different, more elaborate designs and left the instructions behind for others. They donated so many origami critters to me that I had a virtual zoo on one of the bookshelves! When our school hosted a wellness day, some kids chose to host origami sessions in the library as one of the options for fellow students. It was wildly popular.
3. Coloring
I first offered an “adult coloring” table before midterms. A senior and I came up with the idea to frame it as a way to de-stress and take a study break, and the students responded with great enthusiasm.
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Last Thoughts
It’s refreshing to see teenagers putting away screens for part of their day and participating in some good old-fashioned activities. We spent a lot of time apart in the last few years. Many kids were isolated, scared, and missed out on social development. It’s heartwarming to see that something as simple as a puzzle or a piece of paper bringing people together.
